Light Shining onto the Path
by Mochi3
Summary: "However, in there, there's no proof of my existence, and I can barely even protect my very self. The path I've been avoiding and unable to pass has been like this for a while. And then, everyone has disappeared off it..." [Jack Frost x Reader] Technically [Human!Jack Frost x Reader] or [Jackson Overland x Reader] Rating will probably raise because of later chapters
1. There's a New Girl in Town

After a week of traveling through the wilderness, the cabriolet that carried you and your father finally came to a stop in the town of Burgess, Pennsylvania. Fall was just starting, with its cooler air and its colored leaves. After traveling in the cabriolet for hours, you were eager to jump out and stretch your legs. Once you had your two feet planted on the ground, you stretched your arms up above your head, forgetting any decency that you were taught, and took in your surroundings. Burgess was only a stop for you and your father, but you didn't care—any place was better than traveling around all the time. The reason you and your father traveled so much was because of the fur trade. Your mother? She had died five years ago when you were seven from yellow fever. Nowadays, you just helped your father with his trade, and even helped him bargain at the markets—people tended to fall for your childish charms.

When you were done adjusting your fur jacket and the skirts of your dress, you helped unpack the furs from the carriage that was following the cabriolet. You then turned to the inn where you would be staying at and helped your father get checked in. After 20 minutes, everything was stored in the room that you and your father would be sharing for the next month. Your father then told you to go around town, explore, and become acquainted with the people. Even though you were 12 years old, your father knew you were responsible enough to walk around town on your own. You bade him farewell and promised you would be back by dusk at the latest.

The first place you visited was the marketplace of Burgess. It was near where the inn was located, so it would naturally be your first stop. As you meandered your way through the shops, one particular stall caught your eye: it was a stall that sold parchment, journals, ink, and an assortment of quills. You loved to read, write, and draw. Even though it was frowned upon for females to learn how to read and write, your father insisted that you learned. Being the daughter of a merchant and hunter, you were bound to be educated. You were then broken out of your thought when you felt a tug on your jacket. Looking down, you saw a young girl who looked to be six or seven with brown hair and brown eyes. On her face, she wore a look of concern.

"Excuse me, but will you help me look for my older brother?" she asked, with concern laced in her voice.

"Of course I will! I'm new in town, so maybe you can show me around too," you replied, hoping you could get a better understanding of your temporary town.

"Yeah! Okay let's go! My name is Olivia Overland [1]. What's yours?"

"(Full Name). It's a pleasure to meet you, Olivia," you responded while smiling at her. She was just too cute with her large eyes! Remembering you had a task to attend to, you asked her, "Where was the last time you saw him?"

"Oh! I think it was near the locksmith's building!" She then took your hand and started leading you throughout town. During the search for her brother, she told you that she lived on the outskirts of home because her family farmed on a small scale and herded sheep, that her brother's name was Jackson and that he was your age. She then also mentioned that he was very mischievous and often disappeared. You thought it was very irresponsible of him to leave Olivia alone, but what could you do? Like Olivia said, it was common behavior for him. Poor girl, you would've ripped your hair out in irritation by then.

When you reached the locksmith's shop, you and Olivia asked the locksmith if he had seen Jackson around. He told you two that he had seen him run down by the bakery towards the post office. From his response, you could tell Jackson was quite the trouble maker around town. You then thanked the locksmith for his troubles and then Olivia towed you to the post office. When the building came into view, Olivia sped up her pace, which made you stumble for the first few feet. She then looked around and saw the bakery and again dragged you with her as she shoved her face up against the bakery window.

"Look at bread (Name)! It looks so delicious! I wish I had some fresh bread right now!" Olivia exclaimed. You chuckled at her antics and told her, "Hey, I think we should be looking for your brother, not at the bread!" She giggled at your words and then peeled her faced at the glass and nodded at you.

"Still looking for me Olivia? You even managed to bring along someone else this time!" a boy's voice complained from behind the two of you. It surprised both of you so much that you jumped a little and turned around to see a boy around your age with Olivia's eyes and the same shade of brown hair. You figured that it was her brother Jackson. He stared at you as you were scrutinizing him, then turned to Olivia and said, "Hey squirt! You brought along a stranger this time! Why'd you do that? It's rude when you don't know the person."

"Rude? I'm glad I helped her Jackson Overland! _You_ are the rude one for purposely leaving her behind! SHE'S SEVEN YEARS OLD!" you shouted, while putting your hands on your hips. Even though you were 12, you still managed to intimidate Jackson. Olivia also giggled at the sight of seeing her brother scared.

"Hey, hey, hey…let's just calm down now! Olivia knows I do it out of fun. You must be new here to not know about this by now. She asks _everyone_ to help her," he rushed to explain while putting his hands up defensively. You could tell the Olivia wasn't worried anymore so you lighted up for her sake.

"Fine, Jackson Overland, I'll calm down! But next time she asks me to help her look for you, I'll punch you for being irresponsible!" you threatened. After that, it was silent between the three of you. Jackson, Olivia, and you all looked at each other, realizing how empty your threat sounded. You then started to giggle at the stupidity of it and the other two joined in as well. Soon, the three of you were bent over in a giant fit of laughter.

After realizing that nothing could beat today's turn of events, you decided that you should just go back to the inn. You had to ask Olivia and Jackson to walk you back, for you didn't know the town just yet. When you got to the inn, you bade Olivia farewell and then turned to Jackson.

"Look here, Jackson. I did mean it about you being irresponsible towards Olivia! She's seven; you can't let her wander around. Seriously, if you _do_ do that again, I _will_ be angry," you told him as stern as you could for a 12-year-old.

"Yeah, yeah, quit acting like my mom, newbie!" he snickered. He then turned around, picked up some of the dead leaves on the ground that had already fallen, and threw them at your face while taking Olivia's hand and running off with her. Enraged at his teasing, you yelled, "I HATE YOU JACKSON OVERLAND!"


	2. Temporary Escape

"So, (Name), how do you like it here?" your father asked you one morning in the inn room you were still staying at.

"It's been okay father. I feel really different from the others—like I don't fit in. I only have two friends: Olivia Overland and Elizabeth Adamson. Jackson doesn't really help with getting me acquainted with others. He mainly just spurs on more teasing," you told him, sighing afterwards. It was already December and snow was all over the place. It had only been two months, but you felt completely out of the picture. What you told your father was only skimming the surface of your problems. People your age tended to avoid you because you were educated. Not only were you educated, but you weren't educated out of the Bible—something frowned upon in Burgess [1]. Education was also something for the middle-class and rich. Because your father had taught you so much, many people also thought you were pretentious. Aside from being educated, Jackson could almost be considered a bully towards you. You don't know why, you probably just rubbed him the wrong way when you first met him. Maybe you shouldn't have threatened him and just left him alone. Maybe you also shouldn't have continued to retaliate his bullying, you couldn't help that you were headstrong and that you fell to the vicious cycle of revenge. Anyway, because Jackson was popular among both boys AND girls, everyone jumped on the bandwagon and liked to tease you. You would get girls insulting you about your clothes, or boys throwing snow at you.

Olivia didn't know about the bullying at all, and you didn't have the heart to tell her because you knew she would be mad at her brother. You may not have liked Jackson, but you grew very close to Olivia and you knew how much she loved her brother so you didn't want them fight. Your other friend, who you mentioned earlier, was Elizabeth Adamson. She was different too, mainly because she came from one of the richest families in Burgess. She was the daughter of the mayor, so she too was ostracized for being educated. You met her in the marketplace on day when she saw you being bullied and she told you that she knew how you felt. After that, the two of you clicked. She was the same age as you too. She was always busy though, her mother was always making her meet other aristocratic boys for a prospective future marriage. You pitied her for that. At least you knew that you would probably never get married because you never had enough time to settle down because of your father's job.

"Hey, (Name). (Name)! Are you okay?" your father suddenly asked you, snapping you out of your stupor. You didn't even realize that you had been lost in your own miserable thoughts.

"Yeah, Daddy, I'm fine…I just hate feeling alone. I miss mom and all the comfort she used to bring whenever I was sad," you told him, finally letting the tears come through. You never called him "Daddy" unless you were emotionally distraught. Sensing this, he pulled you into his arms and hugged you tightly.

"(Name), how would you like to go hunting with me? I was going to ask when you were older but I think you're mature enough to come with me this time. I know you're upset about being new, but I really think getting out for a week will help you feel better. What do you say, kiddo?"

"Sure Dad! I'm so excited! I've never gone on one of your trips before. Does this mean I get to wear breeches?" you asked excitedly. It would be something new to you, and you beamed up at your father.

"Yes, (Name), you get to wear breeches," he chuckled, while ruffling your hair. You squealed in joy, hugged your father, and rushed out the door while telling your father that you were informing your two friends of your week's trip.

You were walking along the roads to the more rural areas of Burgess to wear Olivia lived. You had been to her house before—when Jack wasn't there—and you loved her parents. Her mom was so kind, she reminded you of your own late mother. Her father was also an easygoing man as well. Mr. Overland was a strong built man who also seemed to mean the world to Olivia. Once you saw the Overland's home in view, you picked up your pace until you saw Jackson step out with his father. You dived into some nearby bushes, not caring if you got leaves in your hair, and peeked out between the branches at the duo. You saw them walk off into the fields, probably to herd sheep and take care of the other animals because of the cold weather. As soon as the coast was clear, you rolled out from under the bushes and closed the short distance between you and the Overland's house. After you knocked on the front door, Mrs. Overland greeted you with a warm welcome and called Olivia. As soon as Mrs. Overland said your name, Olivia scrambled out of her room and crashed into you with a hug.

"(Name)! Good morning!" she said happily. She then looked up at you and her eyes widened when she saw your appearance. Wondering what she was staring at, you asked her, "Hey, what're you looking at, little one?"

"YOUR HAIR! AND CLOTHES! THERE'S LEAVINGS ALL OVER THEM!" she yelled, and then laughed. You turned and looked down at the skirts of your dress. After seeing how disheveled they were, you joined in on her laughter. After the laughter died down, Olivia took you to the table and made you sit down next to her. She then asked you, "So, (Name), why are you here so early in the morning?" It was around eight at the time.

"Well, I wanted to tell you that I'll be gone for a week or so with my father. I'm going on a hunting trip with him. I'll try to see if I can barter something of my own on the trip for you."

"Aw, okay…I'll be sad that you're gone though. Now only Jack will play with me! I was going to try to make you two friends!"

"Ah, um, I'm sorry I'm missing that! I have to go now, though. Don't get into too much trouble Olivia!" you told her hurriedly so you could escape her antics to make you friends with Jackson once more. You bade Mrs. Overland a warm farewell and left to go to town to look for Elizabeth.

You looked around the marketplace, hoping you would see her with her mother. In order not to be recognized and bullied, you pulled your hood up around your head so it would shield your face. You then spotted the extravagant clothes of Elizabeth Adamson and made your way towards her. You didn't see her mother around her, so you assumed that she was off looking somewhere else at things. Once you were in speaking distance of Elizabeth, behind her, you let your presence be known by saying, "It's not every day your mother let's you be alone." She gave a gasp and turned around, startled and looking for a familiar face. Once she managed to recognize you, she sighed and put a hand over her heart and said, "Oh! Thank goodness that's you (Name)! You had me so frightened; please don't do that again,"

"Why all the formalities 'Lizabeth? It's just the two of us," you reminded her.

"_Because_ mother is around and you _know_ how strict she can be!" she chided you.

"Okay, I'm sorry. Anyway, how goes it with the courting?"

"(Name), please don't remind me of that torture! Every other week it's some other boy. I'm just a girl," she sighed in defeat.

"Hey, Elizabeth, it'll be okay. It'll turn out for the better. At least you'll actually _get_ married. Anyway, I have to tell you that I'm leaving town for a week. I'm going on a hunting trip with my father. In a way, I'm happy because I'll be out of here for a little while. I'm also sad, because the animals never did anything wrong. It pays though."

"You have always wanted to see your father on the job, right?"

"Yeah, I have, but I'm just scared that I'll detest what I see. I hope I won't. I'll see you in a week! I have to get going now!" You hugged Elizabeth and then ran off to the inn to meet up with your father again to pack up.

Once you were all done packing your light load of supplies, you put on some leggings, breeches, a shirt, a hunting shirt on top, your coat, and at last, your shoes. When your father came to get you, he was surprised that the clothes fit you perfectly. He told you to put your hair up so it could hide under the hat he gave you so you could pass as a boy. It was technically "improper" and almost against the law for girl or woman to be involved in any manly activities, unless she had no husband and she had to do the housework herself. You then started your journey with your father into the wilderness.

After your journey, you learned several things. First, your father had great skill at what he did and was an expert at it. Second, you were great at using a sling, a weapon that he gave you to try. Third, you would only hunt in times of need, like if there was a food shortage, or if your father could not hunt. You didn't completely hate hunting, but you felt bad putting an end to another being's life. You told yourself that a quick shot would be better than being eaten so that made you feel better about your actions. Shuddering at the images of dead beavers and raccoons, you shoved those images out of your head and proceeded to the journalist's shop that you had visited your first day. You promised Olivia that you would bring her something after your trip. After your visit to the shop, you carried a brand new journal with a leather cover. Olivia loved drawing, and you loved teaching her, so you decided that a new journal would be the best gift for her. You then told yourself that after visiting Olivia, you would then visit Elizabeth, and try to see if you could visit her between her busy, aristocratic lifestyle. You also then realized that Olivia and Elizabeth had yet to meet and that you would have to arrange a meeting in the future. For now, you were glad to have an internal peace. You then stopped in the middle of your walk to the Overland's house. You just acknowledged the face that you glad to be back in Burgess, with Olivia and Elizabeth. You were glad that you had them and you realized that you didn't care anymore about what other people thought of you. Finally, you had found your place. Too bad your stay here was only temporary, because you knew that you would have to move out in a couple months because of the trade. For the time being, you would relish it as much as you could.

[1] I'm sorry if you're not Catholic/Christian. It doesn't imply that you are but colonial America was very religious and it was "sacrilegious" to not have at least one Bible in your house. Again, I'm sorry if you're uncomfortable with this.


	3. The News and the Hunt

Two years have passed since you first moved to Burgess. Your father had decided four months after coming to town that he didn't want to keep moving around anymore and that Burgess was a "wonderful place to build character". You were shocked that he decided to settle down. Soon after his declaration, you bought a nice, comfy, small house. Merchants were usually better off in society, so he could afford it. You were slightly uncomfortable with the prospect of staying in one place for forever, but you tried to not let it bother. Over the past two years, you've become more comfortable with the place. The only people who bothered you now were Jackson Overland his small "clique". At fourteen, other teenagers like you had to start preparing for the real world-marriage and jobs. Going through puberty with only a father around was difficult too. You only had Elizabeth and Mrs. Overland to help you through the process. If anything, it only made you into a more headstrong person-having to go through all of this without a mother. Good things have happened too! You, Elizabeth, and Olivia were practically inseparable, even if Olivia was five years younger than you. The three of you were basically sisters.

You woke up to a quiet morning. Your father was out on a hunting trip and wouldn't be returning for another week. As you got ready for the day, you heard a knock from downstairs from what you assumed was the front door. You rushed while putting on your dark (color) cloak for the cool air of March, and ran downstairs to open the door to the greatest surprise of your life: Jackson Overland standing impatiently at your door. You gasped loudly, choking on your own spit, and then coughed for a good. Once your minor fit was done, you turned and look up to Jackson's face with a scowl on your own. You then asked, "Why are you here, Overland?" Not waiting for a response you the continued, "Never mind, I don't want to even be involved with some stunt I know you're planning to pull on me. Just leave Overland." You then almost had the door shut, when a hand stopped you from closing it.

"Stop it (Last Name)! I would never come here on my own will, except for now. This isn't some joke!" he hurriedly explained when you were about to push him out of your door's way. The tone of his voice made you stop and search his face for any signs of lies, and when you couldn't find any, you let him continue.

"Olivia is sick. She's burning up and she's been like this for the past two days." The news was quite shocking to you. Olivia was always running around, having fun and being so full of energy. You instantly started to worry about her and then invited Jack inside your house for the first and only time. Once both of you were seated, you asked him, "Well, now that I know that she's sick, what you want me to do about it, Overland? I'm not a physician."

"I know, but we—" at this Jackson's face turned slightly red,"—don't have enough money to afford a doctor." He paused again, looking as if he was going to regret his next words, "Look, I know you're smart, you're constantly reading books and all that. Don't you have anything that could help?" At these words you mouth just hung open. Was Jackson Overland actually complimenting you in a very discreet way? Given your reaction, he knew he had you sold.

"Okay, I'll do it. Give me some time. My father is out of town at the moment so I'll try to see if I have the money necessary. I'll meet you at your house," you finally told him after a long silence. In his head, Jack mentally congratulated himself and gave himself a pat on the back. He then left your house. Once he was gone, you got ready to go out. You managed to find some money, but you doubted it would be enough. And with that, you walked out your front door.

Once you got to the marketplace, you looked around in the local apothecary to see if there were any books on herbs. Amazed at your luck, you found one about illnesses and home remedies. Trying to memorize as much of it as you could, you hurriedly scanned the pages about fevers. You then asked the merchant how much the book would cost. Unfortunately, your doubts were correct: you didn't have nearly enough money. You then asked the man to reserve the book, if he could, and ran out of the shop to the Overland's house. Once you got there, you hunched over, trying to catch your breath. You wished you were wearing some breeches instead! Dresses could be so heavy! After you knocked on the front door, you were pulled inside the house by Jackson and he shoved you towards his mother.

"(Name)! What are you doing here?" Mrs. Overland asked, while she was at her daughter's bedside. You told her you came to visit Olivia and rushed to the other side of Olivia. When you touched her forehead, it felt like it was on fire. She looked clammy with sweat. You then told Mrs. Overland the little information you had read in the book just minutes ago. You advised her that cool, wet towels should be placed on her forehead to help her body cool down. After that, you turned to Jackson and pulled him aside so his mother couldn't hear what you had to say.

"Look, Overland, I found this book in the apothecary's shop that contains information about home remedies. I didn't have any money to buy it, I'm sorry. I'm going to be gone for a while, trying to earn some money. I'll try to be back in two days, at the latest. Try to cool her off by keeping a cool, wet cloth on her head. I need to go now. Take care of her. She's like family to me," you told him. He looked thoroughly confused about the situation. As he stood there pondering about what you just said, you returned to Mrs. Overland.

"I'll be taking my leave now, Mrs. Overland. I gave Jackson some pointers on taking care of her. I'll be back to visit in two day's time, if not sooner," you told her solemnly. As you started to walk out of the Overland's house, Jackson grabbed a hold of your arm and pulled you outside with him.

"What did you mean by 'trying to earn some money'? You can't do anything now! You don't even have a job AND you're a girl," he explained. At his words you got slightly angry for him underestimating you. You responded, "Look, it doesn't matter what I do Overland! I'm more capable of earning money than you think! How I go about earning it doesn't matter and it shouldn't concern you at all!"

"What, so you're saying that you're actually capable of doing something useful?" he asked heatedly. He then continued in a slower voice, "The only job a women or girl could get would be...prostitution. Would you-" At this, you slapped him hard against his face for what he just said.

"PROSTITUTION?! Do you really think I have no shame, Overland? What I do to earn money is none of your business. Just let me do what I have to do, okay?" you hissed vehemently at him. He looked dumbstruck at your reaction and let you leave, watching you as your figure got smaller the farther you went away from him.

Once you changed clothes and assumed the identity of a male adolescent, you grabbed your hunting bag and packed some food and a knife along with a blanket and, of course, your sling. Looking around your house, you also found one of your father's spare maps and compasses and packed that as well. You then made your way out to the unknown.

Once you had reached the forest, you scanned the area for stones to use for your sling. After packing a few you then decided to make your way through the dense foliage of the wild. The further you went in the woods, the more your hair stood on end. This was your first time hunting alone, and although you would continue to practice with your sling on inanimate objects, you were frightened. You knew that the first thing you had to do was to find the river that most beavers would have made their habitat, so you started by getting to a higher elevation so you could try to get a better view. You looking for a good tree to climb and started your ascent. You were thankful to Overland because he had essentially taught you how to climb trees—you had to get away from him chasing you somehow! Once you reached a good height on the tree you looked around and finally spotted what you were looking for: the river that would be home to all of the beavers. You climbed down the tree and started off at a slight jog towards your prey.

Slightly crouching behind a tree, you set your hunting bag down on the ground and loaded your sling with the stones you picked up earlier. You had spotted your first prey and he had no idea you were there. Once your artillery was loaded, you slowly stepped out from behind the clearing, making sure the beaver wouldn't notice you yet. You kept your arms at your sides, your sling arm behind your back, in order to make sure the beaver wouldn't identify you as a human predator. After a sharp intake of breath, the beaver suddenly jerked its head towards you, but as soon as he did, you let your arm snap out from behind you as you brought it over in an overhand throw. In order to give your shot more motion, you used your hips to guide you, giving the stone the speed of a fired bullet. In less than a second, your prey was dead. You felt horrible, but you knew it was necessary in order for Olivia to survive. After you bagged your first kill, you knew you would have to do this several more times.

As dusk approached, you knew you would have to get your rest sometime soon. You knew that you had probably gotten enough to give you a fair amount of money at the market. So far, you had killed six beavers, four raccoons, and one rabbit. You decided that you would try to find a higher-elevated place to sleep, so you could keep a watch of the vicinity. As you made your way uphill, you knew that something felt wrong. You felt the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and you stopped walking and listened closely. It was too quiet for this time of day; dusk was just starting to arrive so there should still be some animals active. You knew you were right when you heard some motion behind you. You quickly turned around and almost fainted on the spot. In front of you, there was a gray wolf with its teeth bared, letting its vicious growls be heard. You knew that it probably smelled your kill so you had three options:

1. Drop your bag of the day's hard work and give it to the wolf (along with your father's map)  
2. Run and try to see if you could escape it, or  
3. Try to fight it off

You knew that in your heart you couldn't do the first, and you would never be able to do the second, so you were stuck with the third. You were thankful that your sling was already loaded and that it was only one wolf. The only downside was that you couldn't drop your hunting bag. You started at the wolf as it slowly approached you and before you could let your hunting instincts take over, the wolf had already sprung. When you felt the wolf's jaws clamp down on your calf, you let out a shriek of pain and dropped your sling as you fell to the ground. Letting instinct take over, you quickly grabbed your knife from your belt and cut at the wolf's throat on top of you. The effect was instantaneous: as the blood gushed out the wolf's neck, it fell limply on top of you, covering you with its blood as well. You knew you couldn't stay here or else its pack would probably find you. Trying your best to stand up, you hauled the wolf up too and dragged it by its front paws while you limped to the nearest tree. It was a struggle, but you managed to get yourself, and the wolf, up a couple of branches, just out of harm's reach. You knew that a wolf would be a great kill for the marketplace, so you decided that you would drag it with you in the morning. For now, you would try your best to get some sleep.


End file.
